Inter-religious and Multicultural Family Festival

Chae Hee LeeDecember 20, 2009UPF-Canada, Central District

Toronto, Canada -- Devotional music and interfaith prayers at
UPF-Canada's annual Inter-religious and Multicultural Family Festival
set the atmosphere for reflections about treating people from
different religions and cultures with respect and compassion.
Religious holidays such as Christmas offer special occasions for
celebrating and for sharing with those who around us who may be in
need.

More than 75 people of different religions, cultures, and ethnic
groups attended the December 20 event at 215 Mavety in Toronto,
organized under the leadership of Dr. Chae Hee Lee (chair of
UPF-Canada), Dr. Hoossen Auckberaullee, and Rev. Mitch Dixon.

The festival was enriched by the rock band "Clearstone and
Heaven's Call," and Emilio Zarris and Roy Tugbang thrilled the
audience with their magnificent singing. Roy, who is just 14 years
old, reminded the audience of Luciano Pavarotti because of musical
style and resonant voice, and people applauded in appreciation. Rev.
Lee and Ms. Miae Lee also sang, followed by other male and female
singers. Video presentations highlighted UPF activities all over the
world in 2009.

Emcee Rev. Paul Tamale led a joint prayer for peace and goodwill
with the faith in Almighty God. Then representatives from different
religions and cultures were invited to speak on a topic of their
choice.

Dr. Richard G. Morgan spoke on the behalf of the Christian
community, highlighting the importance in the life of a Christian of
Mother Mary, Joseph the Carpenter, the three Wise Men, and the
shepherds. Everyone played a divine role when the messiah was born in
Bethlehem. Mother Mary kept the covenant while delivering the baby;
Joseph the Carpenter took care of Mary in difficult times; the three
Wise Men travelled far from home to bring him gifts; the shepherds
came to see the baby Jesus while not forgetting their responsibility
for their sheep. Everyone had a responsibility towards this center of
wisdom and unity in Jesus Christ. "Wisdom is the prize of
knowledge," Dr. Morgan said, "and I am proud of being a
Christian by following such wisdom."

Rev. Earl Smith from the Church of Scientology spoke of his strong
belief that respect for everyone is essential to the achievement of
happiness. Everyone of us carries a spirit within us, but few realize
its importance. As an example, he told about a lady who backed up her
car and accidentally ran over her own daughter. A man standing nearby
came running and lifted the car, rescuing the girl. The rescuer did
not know what had helped him lift the car, which he could never have
done otherwise. Such is the spirit which empower those with a
righteous heart.

Author Qamrul A. Khanson spoke about interpersonal relationships
from the Islamic perspective and congratulated everyone on the new
Islamic year of 1431 (counting from the emigration of Muhammad and
his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE.) In Islam, the
relationship among the believers is based on brotherhood. The Qur'an
promotes sincerity as people relate with diverse people, simply
because we are all children of Adam (peace be upon him). Islam does
not permit differentiation in the treatment of other people on the
basis of religion, color, race, sex, or nationality. The Last
Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said: "Whoever
persecutes a non Muslim, I shall be a complainant against him on the
day of Resurrection." He further said, as recorded in the
Hadith, "One who hurts a non-Muslim; he hurts me and one who
hurts me hurts (Almighty) God."

Rev. Stoyan Tadin spoke on behalf of the Unification Church. The
occasion of Christmas reminds us of the need for a strong desire to
achieve the perfect will of God. Our mutual love for each other can
enhance our ability to carry out the will of God, but we often lack
the love and thus our capacity is limited. Let us develop a
willingness to sacrifice for the other. That is how we can perfect
the divine nature within each of us.

Mr. Willie Nebus spoke of his utmost devotion to peace and
harmony, which he credited to UPF and its principles. He mentioned
the plight of his community in Philippines due to the imminent danger
of eruption from the nearby Mayon volcano, which has been spewing red
lava. The two typhoons that recently struck the Philippines island of
Luzon are expected to have a negative impact on economic growth at
least in the short term. At such an important juncture, he reminded
people to trust that God is loving, gracious and forgiving, quoting
the words of Jesus, "Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you".

Ms. Bahi Krishnakhantan, a spiritual psychotherapist of Sri Lankan
origin, fascinated the audience when she spoke of the wisdom that
transcends religious and cultural boundaries. The three Wise Men who
followed the star must have been supported on their journey by
visionary people who offered them supplies for the journey, such as
food and drink. Wisdom is the magnificence of universe. People
generally mind their own activities, but a star gazes upon human
activities. A stars is great, she said, and those among us who follow
the shining star will reach our destination. Keep alive your passion
to be wise.

Dr. Faisal Al Rfouh, a visiting Fulbright Scholar in political
science from Michigan and a former Minister of Labour in the Kingdom
of Jordan, congratulated the audience with greetings of peace and
mentioned the city of Bethlehem, which is just few kilometers from
his hometown in the West Bank. He spoke of his deep desire for peace
in Palestine, Iraq, and other areas where UPF could play a mentoring
role. For almost ten years, he has felt a resonance with UPF's idea
of peace, and this inspired him to submit a paper on the topic of a
"Culture of Peace." He presented a plaque from Jordan's
historic Petra to Dr. Lee.

Dr. A.H. Patel of the Ontario Multifaith Council briefly spoke
about his experiences at the Parliament of the World's Religions in
Melbourne, Australia. During the conference he gave a lecture,
visited religious sites, and found time to visit people in a
Melbourne jail.

Rev. Mitch Dixon expressed his utmost desire to see unity among
people. That ideal is possible, he said, if we respect every human by
living together. Let us be religious, live according to eternal
values, and share joy with each other through Almighty God. Our
faiths are diverse but there are commonalities in our deeds as we
collaborate through UPF and the values it inculcates: respect,
dignity and love among the diverse people.

The meeting ended with the rock band playing while people dined on
the meal provided hosted by UPF.